ACP Portfolio - Sara Parker

ACP PORTFOLIO

SARA K. PARKER

SPRING 2018

"If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's,
we rob them of tomorrow." -John Dewey

Table of Contents

Title Page......................................1
Table of Contents.........................2
What is ACP?................................3
Syllabus Snapshot.......................4
Student Prep Strategy................6
BOPPPS Lesson Plan...................8
Formal Assessment...................14
Rubric..........................................18
Final Presentation Slides..........20
Reflective Essay.........................22

What is the Adjunct Certification Program at Lone Star College?

Purpose: The purpose of the Adjunct Certification Program is to recognize and reward adjunct faculty who
make a commitment to the System and to provide an opportunity to enhance their teaching effectiveness.

Who can participate: Adjunct faculty who have taught at LSC for at least 2 semesters may apply. Participants
are chosen based upon recommendations from their department chair.

Course structure and objectives: The Adjunct Certification Program is structured around 5 components of
successful instruction. After successfully completing this program participants will be able to

 Plan for Learning
o Create a syllabus snapshot
o Create a lesson using the BOPPPS lesson planning moel
o Write SMART lesson objectives
o Identify the levels in Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy
o Employ effective strategies to encourage students to prepare for class

 Employ a Variety of Teaching Strategies
o Define teacher-centered, interactive, experiential, and independent learning techniques
o Locate online lesson repositories and resources
o Incorporate at least one new instructional strategy in a lesson plan
o Create questions that address various levels of Bloom's cognitive taxonomy

 Assess Effectively
o Develop an assessment strategy that aligns with the course outcomes
o Utilize various formative assessment tools that are quick, engaging, and informative
o Create effective subjective and objective tools and processes.
o Cite the principles of effective evaluation.
o Develop an assessment rubric

 Use Instructional Technology
o Explain how technology can enhance teaching and learning
o Employ at least one new instructional technology to encourage student engagement
o Locate instructional technology resources

 Foster a Positive Learning Environment
o Utilize effective strategies for dealing with various student challenges
o Employ motivational theory to structure classes that foster student motivation to learn

In order to successfully complete the program, participants must:
• Attend ALL 5 face-to-face meetings with the initial cohort and complete all on-line lessons. This occurs
over a nine week period with a time commitment of 26-30 hours.
• Actively participate in online discussion topics.
• Present a 10 minute overview of a completely new lesson
• Complete a reflective essay
• Compile and submit an electronic portfolio of all completed assignments
• Score a minimum of 80% on all required elements of the course

To view the full Syllabus Snapshot, visit:
https://www.smore.com/qj0f5-engl-0306-developmental-writing-i

To view the full Syllabus Snapshot, click here:
https://www.smore.com/qj0f5-engl-0306-developmental-writing-i

Parker 1

Strategy for Encouraging Student Preparation for Class
ENGL 0306: Developmental Writing


In the previous class, students will have developed an instructor-approved topic sentence and
paragraph outline. This assignment will be given on a Thursday, so students have five days for
completion. Their preparation instructions will be as follows:


1. Following the guidelines on your Paragraph Assignment sheet, complete a first draft of
your paragraph.

2. Bring TWO printed copies of your paragraph to class, along with the outline you
completed in today’s class. One copy of your paragraph will be submitted to me for a
grade, and the other will be used in class for our next lesson.

3. Read: “Using Specific Vocabulary” on p. 308-311 of your textbook. Complete Practices 4,
5, and 7 for a Homework Check grade.


Notes:

1. The “Using Specific Vocabulary” section of the text briefly reviews how to use
specific vocabulary and vivid language, as well as how to avoid clichés and slang.
These will be important to our upcoming lesson, because we will not have time to
address the topic in-depth, but introducing the skill of using specific vocabulary will
aid in completing the Peer Review forms during class.

Parker 2

2. A Homework Check grade is when I do a quick walk around the room and check
textbooks for completion of homework. Students receive a 100% for completion,
75% for completing more than half, and a 0% for anything less. I will supply the
correct answers to the questions for students to do a self-check for accuracy, which
we will discuss in an upcoming class where we will dive more in-depth into the topic
of using exact language and specific vocabulary.


I believe these assignments will provide ample motivation for students to adequately prepare
for class, as they have been informed that not only will they be receiving grades for homework
completion, but that they will also need the materials in order to participate in class. My
students receive participation grades daily in class, and they know that it is difficult to
participate when they have not prepared.

BOPPPS LES

COURSE: ENGLISH 0306: Developmental Writing I
Lesson Title: The “A” Paper: 5 Key Steps in Revising & Editing


Bridge:
A series of 5 PowToon slides with photos and questions. Slides will be shown fo
answers/thoughts with the class.


BLOOM’S QUESTION (ANALYSIS): How might these photos relate to the revision
(Scroll back through photos to give students time to consider.)

Switch to slide with listed objectives and transition discussion to: Each of these
learning about today to guide our peer review session during the second half of

Estimated time: 8 minutes

Course Student Learning Outcome:

Develop and use effective revision strategies to strengthen the writer’s ab

Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to

1. List and explain the five key steps in the revising and editing stag
2. Assess one paragraph written by a peer by completing a Peer Re

key steps in revising and editing. (APPLY, ANALYZE, EVALUATE


Pre-Assessment:
CAT: All You Know. Students will be asked to take two minutes to write down al
When you sit down to revise what you or a peer has written, what is your strate

answers with the class, which will be recorded on the board to revisit during Sum


Estimated time: 5 minutes

Participatory Learning:

Time Instructor Activities Learner Acti


12 min. Step 1: Revise for Unity Students p

Define unity as it relates to writing; use PowToon in Practice

presentation to explain connection to the misfit they came
photo from Bridge activity. BLOOM’S

Which para

should be r

SSON PLAN

or one minute at a time, allowing time for students to share their

n process?

photos relate to one of five steps to revising and editing that we will be
f class.

bility to compose college-level writing assignments.

ges of writing. (REMEMBER, UNDERSTAND)
eview Form and sharing feedback with one another, based on the five
E)

ll they know about the revising and editing process, guided by two questions:
egy? What criteria do you use during your evaluation? Students will then share
mmary.

ivities Lesson Materials

ractice identifying off-topic/misfit sentences CAT: Discussion Chips: 3
chips per student and a
1A, p. 30; then CAT: Think-Pair-Share what few collection cups to
up with. encourage participation
QUESTIONS (ANALYZE, EVALUATE): for the day
agraphs do not have unity? Which sentences Textbook
removed from those paragraphs, and why?

8 min. Step 2: Revise for Adequate Support Students re
10 min. Link the idea of adequate support to the photo of write quest
10 min. the collapsed bridge in the Bridge activity. be missing
Explain what adequate support is; show example BLOOM’S
12 min. on p. 31 and facilitate discussion on where/how EVALUATE
to add support. reading the
support?
Step 3: Revise for Coherence View transi
Link the idea of coherence to the photo of the https://www
chaotic traffic with no signs in the Bridge activity. Students sk
Direct students to list of transitional expressions and circle a
on p. 34 as navigational signs for the reader. 60 seconds
BLOOM’S
Step 4: Revise for Style transitional
Link the idea of style to the photo of the cookie Students ca
cutter houses vs. the custom homes in the Bridge records list
activity. List ways to improve style.
Request answers to a handful of questions from BLOOM’S
HW on p. 308-313 (exact language). about a clic
us what yo
respond.)
Step 5: Revise for Errors BLOOM’S
Link the idea of errors to the photo of about an ex
proofreading marks in Bridge activity. Practice 7 o
Remind students that MS Word doesn’t catch all slang with.
errors. BLOOM’S
Hand out proofreading marks reference sheet. did you find
Direct group work on finding errors in paragraph 312-313? T
in Practice 5, p. 376 - and using proofreading (2-3 studen
marks.

CAT: Frien
into approx
BLOOM’S
first group t
paragraph

ead paragraph on p. 31, with instructions to PowToon Presentation
tions in the margins about details that might
. Textbook
QUESTIONS (UNDERSTAND, PowToon Presentation
E): What questions do you have after
e paragraph? Where could the writer add

itional phrases video: Link to video on
w.youtube.com/watch?v=v3OZn29K93s transitional phrases
kim their papers (prepared prior to class) Textbook
as many transitional phrases as they can in PowToon Presentation
s.
QUESTION (REMEMBER): What Textbook
l phrases did you find in your papers? PowToon Presentation
all out transitional phrases as instructor
t on white board.
QUESTION (ANALYZE, CREATE): Tell us
ché you found in Practice 6, p. 310; then tell
u replaced the cliché with. (2-3 students

QUESTION (ANALYZE, CREATE): Tell us
xample of slang that you identified in
on p. 311; then tell us what you replaced the
(2-3 students respond.)
QUESTION (ANALYZE, CREATE): Where
d vague language in the Final Review on p.
Tell us how you revised the vague language.
nts respond.)

ndly Proofreading Competition (divide class Proofreading marks
ximately 4 groups of 3-4 students) reference sheet
QUESTION (EVALUATE, APPLY): Be the PowToon Presentation
to identify and correct the mistakes in the Textbook
using correct proofreading marks.

Post-assessment: Following the lesson, students will participate in a game of Ka
understanding. https://play.kahoot.it/ - /k/b2148c84-684d-4869-a718-13ea538
Estimated time: 10 min.
Summary: Review photos and ask students to call out the revision step that cor
assessment) so students can visually compare the limited revising and editing cr
from our lesson that will help them polish the content of their writing more tho

Estimated time: 5 min.
*Following the lesson, students will then turn in their papers for a participation
around the peer review of a one-paragraph assignment. (Required Materials: Pe
Estimated time: 25 min.

Lesson will conclude with each student recording on an index card CAT: Two Sta
encouraged to reference specific examples. I will highlight some of the “Stars” a
common issues worth addressing.
Estimated time: 5 min.





LINKS:

View the PowToon Presentation by clicking here:*

https://www.powtoon.com/m/dMguooNpT9q/1/p

*Presentation requires Google Chrome.

LESSON MATERIALS:

1. Proofreading Marks Reference Sheet
2. Peer Review Form
3. Grading Rubric for Peer Review

ahoot with 9 questions that will review key points of the lesson and gauge
8c7c5e

rrelates with each photo. Then present CAT: All You Know data (from pre-
riteria they previously used with the more effective revising and editing criteria
oroughly.

grade, and we will transition to the second part of our class, which will revolve
eer review sheets, instructions, grading rubric)

ars and a Wish for their partner, to turn in with the Peer Review. They will be
at the beginning of our next class, and also look through the “Wishes” for any

PEER REVIEW SHEET: PARAGRAPH

OWNER OF PAPER: ____________________________ Date: _____________

NAME OF REVIEWER: __________________________



1. Your main idea is: _____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. The topic sentence was clear and concise: NO SOMEWHAT YES

Explain why or why not (too broad, too narrow, too vague, invalid, etc.):



3. The paragraph was unified: NO SOMEWHAT YES
If no or somewhat, list the parts that did not belong:



4. The paragraph contained adequate support: NO SOMEWHAT YES

If yes, list three supports. If no, list 1 or 2 types of supports the writer might add:



5. The paragraph was coherent and contained NO SOMEWHAT YES
enough transitions words:


If no or somewhat, insert words or phrases on the writer’s paper to improve coherence
(first, second, then, finally, suddenly, after that, etc.)


6. The writer used varied sentence structure NO SOMEWHAT YES
and exact language:


If no or somewhat, mark on the paper where the writer was repetitive, and circle words
that are not exact language (good, bad, nice, great, boring, slang terms, clichés).



7. The paragraph was mostly free of errors: NO SOMEWHAT YES

If no or somewhat, use proofreading marks to correct the technical errors you found
within the writer’s paragraph.



Sara Parker
Instructor: Sunnye Pruden
Adjunct Certification
March 16, 2018

ENGL 0306 – Formal Assessment
The “A” Paper: 5 Key Steps in Revising & Editing
Course Student Learning Outcome:
Develop and use effective revision strategies to strengthen the writer’s ability to compose
college-level writing assignments.

Learning Objectives (these should be the ones you wrote in Module 1): By the end of this
lesson, students will be able to:

1. List and explain the five key steps in the revising and editing stages of writing.
2. Assess one paragraph written by a peer by completing a Peer Review Form and sharing
feedback with one another, based on the five key steps in revising and editing.

Question #1: Which of the following is a sign of lack of cohesion in a writing sample?
A. Multiple punctuation errors
B. Missing transitions
C. A sentence that is off-topic
D. Not enough details to support the main idea
Answer: B. Missing transitions
Bloom’s Levels: Remember and Understand – students must recall what “cohesion” means, and
then classify one of the answers as an indication of lack of cohesion (as compared to lack of
unity, lack of proofreading, lack of style, and lack of support).

Question #2: Which words in the passage below could be classified as non-exact language?
Today was one of the hottest days of the year, so I brought my sweaty children to Sonic for
some refreshing slushies. After paying for our frozen treats, we drove to the big pool in our
neighborhood. We all love our neighborhood because it is so nice and the pools are great. We
quickly drank the delicious slushies really fast and then swam in the clear water for over an
hour before going back to our cozy house. We were all exhausted but content when we got
home.

A. Hottest, sweaty, really, clear
B. Love, frozen, delicious, cozy
C. Refreshing, great, beautiful, content
D. Big, nice, great, really, beautiful
Answer: D. Big, nice, great, really, beautiful
Bloom’s Levels: Understand & Analyze – Students must understand the concept of non-exact
language and then differentiate between specific language and non-exact language within the
passage.

Question #3: The passage below contains ten errors. Use correct proofreading marks to edit
the passage.
My least favorite day of the year is april Fool’s Day because I feel suspicious all day that
someone is going to trik me. One day when was I about ten years old, my older brother offered
to make me a bagel with cream cheese Not realiz ing it was April Fool’s Day, I was surprised
that the brother who I bickeredwith so often was Actually being nice to me. Several minutes
later, he brought me my breakfast: a bagel smothered with thick, melty cream cheese. I took a
huge bite and immediately gagged and and spit it out. My brother screamed April Fool’s! He
had slathered Crisco shortening on my bagel instead of cream cheese. Ever since that day, I
have hated the first of April.
Answer:


Bloom’s Level: Evaluate & Apply – Students must evaluate the passage for errors, and then they
must apply their knowledge of proofreading marks to suggest corrections.

Question #4: Read the following passage. Underline the topic sentence. Cross out the two
sentences that show a lack of unity. Circle or highlight six transition words or transitional
phrases.

For a quick and delicious breakfast option, burritos are easy and economical to prepare.
First, to make ten burritos, purchase the following ingredients: one 10-pack of flour tortillas,
one pound of breakfast sausage, eight ounces of shredded cheese, a bag of frozen shredded
hash browns, a cup of milk, and a dozen eggs. The ingredients should not cost more than $12,
but the price will be higher if you select organic or brand name ingredients. Coupons may make
this meal even more economical. Sometimes, when browsing the newspaper or the Internet for
good deals, you may even find coupons for larger discounts at retails stores. Once you have
purchased all your ingredients, it’s time to cook. First, fry up your hash browns, according to
package directions; set aside. Next, dump the sausage into a frying pan and stir fry until cooked
completely; then transfer to a small bowl for later. Finally, whisk together the eggs with the
milk and use the same pan to cook the eggs on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fluffy.
Now that all your ingredients are cooked, you should assemble your burritos. Kids can be great
helpers when assembling burritos, saving preparation time. Kids can also save time in the
kitchen when making other dishes as well, like prepping salads and pre-making sandwiches for
school lunches. To assemble the burritos, place one heaping spoonful of hash browns in the
center of each tortilla. Then layer on the following: 1/4 cup eggs, 1/8 cup sausage, and a
sprinkle of cheese. Roll the burritos up in freezer wrap or plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to
eat. Frozen burritos should be microwaved for 45 seconds on each side before eating. Both kids
and adults will enjoy these hearty and savory burritos for breakfast.

Answer: Deleted: Sometimes, when browsing the newspaper or the
For a quick and delicious breakfast option, burritos are easy and economical to prepare. First, to Internet for good deals, you may even find coupons for
make ten burritos, purchase the following ingredients: one 10-pack of flour tortillas, one pound larger discounts at retails stores.
of breakfast sausage, eight ounces of shredded cheese, a bag of frozen shredded hash browns,
a cup of milk, and a dozen eggs. The ingredients should not cost more than $12, but the price Deleted: Kids can also save time in the kitchen when making
will be higher if you select organic or brand name ingredients. Coupons may make this meal other dishes as well, like prepping salads and pre-making
even more economical. Once you have purchased all your ingredients, it’s time to cook. First, sandwiches for school lunches.
fry up your hash browns, according to package directions; set aside. Next, dump the sausage
into a frying pan and stir fry until cooked completely; then transfer to a small bowl for later.
Finally, whisk together the eggs with the milk and use the same pan to cook the eggs on
medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fluffy. Now that all your ingredients are cooked, you
should assemble your burritos. Kids can be great helpers when assembling burritos, saving
preparation time. To assemble the burritos, place one heaping spoonful of hash browns in the
center of each tortilla. Then layer on the following: 1/4 cup eggs, 1/8 cup sausage, and a
sprinkle of cheese. Roll the burritos up in freezer wrap or plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to
eat. Frozen burritos should be microwaved for 45 seconds on each side before eating. Both kids
and adults will enjoy these hearty and savory burritos for breakfast.

Bloom’s Levels: Recall, Understand, Analyze – Students must recall and understand the
definitions of the following terms: topic sentence, transition words, transitional phrases, unity.
Then, students must: 1) identify a topic sentence; 2) classify transitional words by circling them;
and 3) differentiate between sentences that demonstrate unity, and those that do not.



PEER REVIEW GRADING RUBRIC

Teacher Name: S Parker
Student Name: __________________________________

43

Focus on the task Consistently stays Focuses on th

focused on the task what needs to

and what needs to be most of the tim

done. Very self- can count on t

directed. person.

Peer Feedback Provides clear, Provides thou
Problem-solving
Effort thoughtful feedback feedback to pe

to peer, including two some feedbac

stars and a wish. be clearly exp

Feedback thoroughly One or two ite

addresses all items peer review sh

on the peer review not be addres

sheet.

Actively looks for and Suggests at le

suggests solutions to solution to a p

problems within within peer's p

peer's paragraph. clearly indicate

Suggestions are the peer's pap

clearly indicated

within the peer's

paper.

Work reflects this Work reflects

student's best efforts. effort from this

_______

2 1

he task and Focuses on the task and Rarely focuses on the
o be done what needs to be done task and what needs to
me. Peers some of the time. Peers be done. Often
this must sometimes prod and distracted with side
conversations,
remind to keep this person technology, or
on-task. unrelated tasks.

ughtful Provides some feedback to Provides very little, if
eer, but peer, but feedback may any, feedback to peer.
ck may not miss several items on the Fails to include a star
pressed. peer review sheet. Student or a wish. Leaves more
ems on the may not have included stars than half of the peer
heet may and/or a wish. review sheet
ssed. incomplete.

east one Suggests at least one Does not suggest
problem solution to a problem within solutions to problems
paragraph, peer\'s paragraph, but does within the peer\'s
ed within not clearly indicate how to paragraph, aside from
per. implement the suggestion. answering the
questions on the peer
review form.

a strong Work reflects some effort Work reflects very little
s student. from this student.
effort on the part of this
student.

To view
cl

this online presentation,
lick this Prezi link.

Parker 1

Sara Parker
Adjunct Certification Program
Instructor: Sunnye Pruden
April 6, 2018

Reflective Essay
The first time I applied for an adjunct position at Lone Star College – Cy Fair, I cancelled
the interview almost as soon as I had set it up. Regardless of my bachelor’s degree in
journalism, my graduate degree in nonfiction writing, and a growing list of publishing credits,
and regardless of my decade-old goal of teaching at the college level, fear held me back. Ten
years away from the workforce, combined with my complete lack of classroom training and a
fear of public speaking filled me with self-doubt. Then, in 2016, I had a moment of clarity and
realized that if I never pushed through my fear, I would be giving up on my goals without even
giving them a chance to succeed. I reapplied, and this time I didn’t cancel the interview.

Months later, I walked into my first classroom at Lone Star, heart racing and hands
trembling – and called my husband at the end of the day, bursting with excitement as I
announced that I had finally found a job I absolutely loved. Within minutes of that first class, I
felt at home, and my teaching style grew and adapted over the course of a couple of semesters.
However, as I began to prepare for the spring 2018 semester, I found myself wishing I had more
resources to pull from, which is when I decided to enroll in the Adjunct Certification Program
(ACP). Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” For years, I had stopped learning, but this class gave
me the push I needed. Over the course of the past eight weeks, I have been enlightened, well-

Parker 2

trained, and inspired for what I hope will be a long-lasting and enriching career as a college
instructor.
Moving forward in my teaching career, I will take an abundance of new knowledge with
me, as the ACP taught me invaluable teaching, planning, and assessment techniques that I
expect will only grow over time. Learning to use the BOPPPS lesson plan, for example, taught
me how to devise a well-organized lesson that would set forth specific and well-crafted
objectives that match expected course outcomes, engaging students with several new
technologies and participatory learning techniques, and pulling each lesson together with a
post-assessment and summary to gauge and reinforce learning. Through my readings in
Teaching Tips by Marilla D. Svinicki and Wilbert J. McKeachie, as well as through classroom
instruction and discussions with my colleagues, I discovered participatory learning techniques
that will encourage all students to speak up (discussion chips, Think-Pair-Share, Jigsaw, etc.). In
addition, one of our classes was devoted to exploring new classroom technology, during which
time I explored programs like Prezi (a fun alternative to PowerPoint, which had been my
staple), PowToon (a creative way to present mini lessons), Kahoot (an online quizzing game),
and Quizlet (a helpful study/assessment tool), among others. The course also introduced me to
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) that I had never heard of. From the one-minute
paper, where students spend one minute writing down something new they learned during a
lesson, to All You Know, where students spend a minute or two prior to a lesson writing down
everything they already know about a subject, I gained new assessment tools to gauge levels of
comprehension and motivate students to come to class prepared – plus, ways to demonstrate
not only the usefulness of our lessons, but also their relevance for the students.

Parker 3

The new knowledge I have gained from the ACP has inspired me to approach teaching
with not just a clear focus and well-planned lesson each day, but also with the goal of
connecting with and inspiring my students to seek more knowledge and continue to pursue
their goals despite challenges. On that note, the program solidified my already firmly held belief
that students who feel known and cared about tend to be more motivated to perform well. I
was also reminded that students prioritize relevance – and that they are more likely to come
prepared to class or prepared for assessments if they judge the materials relevant to their lives
or goals. These reminders inspire me to consider my lesson plans from many different angles
and figure out relevant and applicable ways to present the information. Finally, and perhaps
most importantly, the knowledge I have gained during this program has significantly boosted
my confidence in the classroom. I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to discover that I had
already incorporated many solid pedagogical practices in my classroom without prior training
(establishing rapport, facilitating small group work, using variations of Jigsaw, etc.), but as our
instructor unveiled dozens of fresh ideas I had never heard of, I found the tools indispensable to
planning lessons and assessing knowledge.
The flood of new tools and information was overwhelming and exciting, and I have
already begun incorporating many new techniques into my lesson planning. For example,
Kahoot has become a fun way to check students’ comprehension following a lesson. It is a fun
way to end a class, because instead of leaving the nearly two-hour class drained, students leave
smiling and light-hearted. Another example of how I have incorporated my new knowledge into
my classroom would be through the incorporation of well-written objectives that relate back to
Bloom’s levels of assessment and set visual goals for the students to try to achieve. In addition,

Parker 4

I have already tested out a Prezi presentation, which was much more well received than my
previous PowerPoints, as well as a PowToon that made everyone laugh and appreciate the fact
that I’m exploring new ideas for the classroom. Finally, I have managed to incorporate several
CATs and simple participatory learning techniques that keep students focused on our lesson
and fully engaged.
With so many new tools at my disposal, the ACP has made me a more effective
instructor because I can pull from a vast resource pool of ideas to fit any lesson I am planning.
With more resources, I have more opportunities to reach more students, and my lessons vary in
style, which helps keep students interested. In addition, I told my students about the ACP and
the new skills I was acquiring, which sparked discussions about motivation, grit, and
perseverance. I believe that the confidence I gained in this class has sparked a renewed energy
and passion for learning among my students, and I am hopeful that same energy and passion
for learning will filter over to all of my classes in the future.
My own passion for learning, however, was not satisfied during this course. Instead, it
was sparked. I walked into the first day of the program expecting to fill all the gaps in my
understanding of teaching. While I did learn how to start filling gaps, I also realized how many
opportunities and methods were available to help me improve my effectiveness as a teacher.
As Socrates said long ago, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” His
pronouncement rings true to me as I reflect on the course and what it has meant to me. I am,
quite simply, on fire to learn even more. On that note, I would suggestion offshoots to this
program in the form of seminars or mini courses in the following categories: lesson planning
strategies, classroom management techniques, focused technology training, and participatory

Parker 5

lesson critique sessions. For example, the lesson planning strategies course could present
additional lesson plans aside from BOPPPS, while the classroom management techniques class
could consist of potential classroom issues with student behaviors/crises and perhaps role
playing to practice appropriate responses. The technology training could focus on either
presentation programs or CATs, allowing time for each participant to test out a selected
technology with the class, while the participatory lesson critique sessions could allow time for
presentations of mini lessons that would be open to a guided (and friendly) peer critique. I
would eagerly enroll in such courses that would further develop my teaching skills.

Today, as I prepare to submit my final materials for the program, I feel as though I am
reading the last page of an unforgettable book – simultaneously proud I finished and
disappointed that it is over! However, just like my favorite books, I am sure I will pull out the
materials from this course and revisit them time and again when I am in search of inspiration.